A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to accessories for use with hand-held implements such as hand tools and hand guns. More particularly, the invention relates to an accessory strap releasably fastenable to both the hand and wrist of a user and to a hand tool or other such implement, to increase the comfort, efficiency, and safety of utilization of the implement.
B. Description of Background Art
A variety of unpowered hand tools such as hacksaws and powered hand tools such as electric drills are used by both amateur and professional mechanics, craftsmen and the like. Many such hand tools are provided with a pistol-grip type handle that permits the tool to be conveniently and firmly grasped and used. In certain applications, however, it would be desirable to provide means for providing a more secure grip on hand-held tools or implements. Thus, for example, when a workman must ascend a ladder, or work on a roof or other such relatively precarious location. inadvertent dropping of a tool which was held in the hand may be somewhat more problematic than merely dropping the tool on the ground or on the floor of a workshop or other room. When the tool is powered, even more serious consequences can result. For example, the present inventor is aware of cases where a pneumatic nailing machine has fired a nail into the leg of a workman when the machine slipped from the grasp of the workman, and impacted the roof on which he was working. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an efficient means for releasably securing hand tools to the hand of a user, to prevent damage to the individual using the tool, or the tool itself, which might occur if the tool slipped from the grasp of the user and fell to the ground
In addition to the problem posed by inadvertent dropping of hand tools, a potentially more serious problem can result from the inadvertent dropping of a hand gun, because the accidental discharge of the gun which might result from its being dropped could inflict a fatal wound. Furthermore, the use of a relatively heavy hand gun in a self-defense mode, particularly by a woman, can be especially problematic. Accordingly. it would be desirable to provide means for releasably securing a hand gun to the hand of a user, to minimize the likelihood that the gun could be accidentally dropped or seized by an assailant, as well as to steady the aim of the user.
The following United States patents discloses articles intended for use in securing a gun to the hand of a user:
Norton, U.S. Pat. No. 4,982,522, Jan. 8, 1991, Gun Safety Lanyard: Discloses a safety lanyard for long guns such as rifles and shotguns for reducing the risk of accidentally discharge by dropping the gun onto the ground- The gun safety lanyard (10) includes an endless loop of flexible cord (16) having a first, front sub-loop at an end (20) intended to be looped around the portion of a gun stock rearward of the receiver of a long gun (12), and a second, rear sub-loop (22) which is inserted into the first sub-loop and pulled rearward to form a clove-hitch type knot tightened on the stock. The rear sub-loop (22) is preferably provided with an enlarged width band (24) made of a fabric or other material which may be tightened comfortably against the wrist of a hunter, by means of a slide clasp (18) which has two adjacent apertures for slidably receiving adjacent cord lengths of rear loop (22).
Canon, U.S. Pat. No. 3,553,878, Jan. 12, 1971, Means For Supporting And Aiming A Hand-Held Device: Discloses a hand brace (10) including a telescopically adjustable rigid shoulder stock (36) for use with hand guns, and a flexible strap attached to the front end of the stock, the strap having formed therein a permanently sewn loop (20) adapted to receive the thumb or finger of a shooter's hand and elongated free ends (16) and (18) of sufficient length to be looped around the palm of the shooter's hand, and secured thereto by mating VELCRO fastener strips (26), (28).
Willumsen, U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,253, Oct. 15, 1991, Handgun Stabilizing Strap: Discloses a handgun stabilizing strap 10 in the form of an elongated, flexible, inelastic webbing strap 16 having an adjustable neck encircling loop 20 at one end and a thumb engaging loop 24 at the other end. The large neck encircling loop is placed around the shooter's neck and the small loop at the other end of the strap is placed around the thumb of the handgun shooter's shooting hand to stabilize the handgun while it is being aimed and while the trigger is being pulled when shooting the gun.
Other U.S. patents related generally to securing objects to the hand of a person during use include the following:
Bacharach, U.S. Pat. No. 5,328,205, Jul. 12, 1994, Combination Ski Pole And Hand Strap; Stinemates, U.S. Pat. No. 4,754,498, Jul. 5, 1998, Gun Mitten; Ingold, U.S. Pat. No. 3,770,270, Nov. 6, 1973, Bowling Aid Glove; and Morse, U.S. Pat. No. 3,880,426, Apr. 29, 1975, Wrist And Finger Support For Bowlers.
None of the foregoing references discloses an article which is releasably attachable to a variety of unmodified hand tools or implements and which both secures a person's grip on the implement and prevents the implement from being dropped, even if the user's grip on the handle of the implement is loosened. The present invention was conceived of to satisfy a perceived need for an article having the foregoing characteristics.